Our busiest times are between 8.30am and 10am. If you have a non-urgent enquiry please call after those times. Thank you.

Confidentiality

We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure. It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible advice and care.

This information is only available to those involved in your care and you should never be asked for personal medical information by anyone not involved in your care.

You have a right to know what information we hold about you. If you would like to see your records, please call our practice manager at Holsworthy Medical Centre.

From January 2015 all patients who have on-line log-in details (to make prescription requests and appointments) will also be able to access a brief summary of their medical records.

Freedom of Information

If you would like to know more about freedom of information please follow the link:

Comments & Complaints

Holsworthy Medical Centre aims to give a friendly and professional service to all our patients. However, if you have any concerns about any aspect of our service, please let us know. Speak to whomever you feel most comfortable with – your GP, our practice manager or our reception staff will be happy to help.

In the majority of cases, concerns can be resolved quite easily. If you want to bring your complaint to our notice, please ask at reception for a Complaints Form.

If your complaint is more personal or you feel it is serious, please ask for, write to, or telephone the Practice Manager, Jane Wells, or her deputy, Sara Davey, with your compaint. They will take full details and decide how best to investigate your concerns. If your complaint is clinical in nature you may be invited to meet with the clinical complaints lead, Dr Robert Shaw, to discuss your concerns.

If you are not compaining yourself, but on someone else's behalf, you must have written permission from them to make the complaint. This does not apply to children under 18 or if there are special circumstances which make permission impossible.

Your complaint will be acknowledged in writing within two working days.

Your complaint will be investigated, and we will reply in full within 10 working days. However, if this is not possible we will let you know when we will be in a position to reply.

If you are not happy with our reply you may request a meeting, if you feel the need, or you may wish to take the complaint further using the Patient Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) at: County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QL Tel: 0300 123 16725 0r 01392 267665.

We try our best to provide the most helpful and efficient service we can within the NHS resources. If we feel that we have made a mistake or given an inadequate service then we will apologise. However, if the complaint is about a service we do not provide, then we will explain why it is not available. It may be that the complaint needs to be redirected to another, more relevant, service provider.

The practice complaints procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. However, we hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, put right any problems you have identified or mistakes that have been made.

It is NHS policy for local resolution to be the starting point for a complaint. We are normally in the best position to resolve your complaint.

Our internal complaints procedure is outlined in the section Comments and Complaints.

If you use the internal procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the NHS Devon if you wish. You need to be aware that it will be necessary for NHS Devon to conduct a fair and equitable investigation into the concerns raised. The appropriate contact address for NHS Devon is:

The Annex,

County Hall

Topsham Road

Exeter

EX2 4QL

Tel: 0300 123 1672 or 01392 267665

Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and a patient's consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by that patient in person.

NHS guidance on making complaints is available at the following website link:

NHS Devon provide advice and assistance regarding access to a conciliator for patients who wish to pursue their complaints with the practice with an independent party involved. The practice may also make use of this help if it is needed.

We hope that eventually you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with the matter thoroughly. However, if this is not the case, and you wish to continue with your complaint you can contact Complaints NHS England betweem 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday on 0300 311 2233 or email: England.contactus@nhs.net.